Although ice cream sandwiches and ice cream cookie sandwiches have existed for many years and have been manufactured using a variety of alternate methods, no prior art system has been developed which is capable of employing ice cream bricks by cutting the bricks into a plurality of smaller slices, and then assembling the slices between two cookies in an efficient manner wherein labor costs are maintained at a minimum.
Furthermore, no prior art apparatus or process is capable of providing chocolate-coated ice cream cookie sandwiches, wherein the chocolate coating is achieved efficiently, with all used chocolate being recycled. In addition, prior art systems typically require a high degree of handling, thereby reducing production efficiency and causing increased production costs.
A further problem commonly found in prior art ice cream cookie sandwiches is the total inability of these prior art systems to prevent the cookies in the sandwich from having a high moisture content. Consequently, the cookie possesses a soft or soggy taste, resulting in undesirable consumer reactions.
Another problem commonly found in ice cream sandwich systems is a requirement that extruded ice cream be employed. This results in the need for expensive equipment as well as costly maintenance and lost time for malfunctions. In addition, the various flavors available for the consumer are extremely limited, thereby resulting in a product incapable of having a large variety of flavors to satisfy varying tastes.
Consequently, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for making chocolate-coated ice cream cookie sandwiches efficiently with a minimum of labor effort.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for making chocolate-coated ice cream cookie sandwiches having the characteristic features described above, which is capable of employing ice cream bricks which are cut to desired smaller sections quickly and efficiently for placement on the cookie.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for making chocolate-coated ice cream cookie sandwiches having the characteristics features described above wherein the resulting chocolate coated ice cream cookie sandwich possesses a fresh tasting, crisp and crunchy cookie which has no soft or soggy characteristics.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for making chocolate-coated ice cream cookies sandwiches having the characteristic features described above, wherein the chocolate coating of the cookie sandwich is achieved in a virtually totally automated manner, which a minimum of labor, while also providing a completely chocolate-coated cookie sandwich without fear of partial coating.
Other and more specific objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.